Cincinnati (February 9, 2023) –This week, The Christ Hospital Heart & Vascular Institute successfully implanted the first-in-the-world J-Valve treatment for severe aortic valve regurgitation in a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) patient.
“The use of left ventricular assist devices has expanded rapidly in the United States for both destination therapy and as a bridge to heart transplant,” said Santiago Garcia, MD, Director Structural Heart Program and Harold C. Schott Foundation Endowed Chair for Structural and Valvular Heart Disease The Carl and Edyth Lindner Center for Research and Education at The Christ Hospital “Aortic valve regurgitation can affect 15% to 52% of these patients after 1-year of LVAD support, which leads to worse clinical outcomes. Although treatment with transcatheter heart valves (THV) designed for aortic stenosis has been reported, results have been poor and repeat surgery is risky. J-Valve’s unique design permits anchoring of the device to non-calcified valve leaflets and can withstand the suction pressure generated by the LVAD. Therefore, J-Valve can provide a transcatheter alternative to redo surgery for these very sick patients.”
This procedure was performed under the expanded access pathway and with approval of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through the Lindner Research Center at The Christ Hospital. This is a tremendous achievement and a sign of better outcomes for heart patients not just in Cincinnati but for those around the world.